NEW DELHI: A Delhi court, on Sunday, sent AAP MLA Naresh Balyan to two days of police custody in connection to an extortion case registered against him last year.
The case, which has drawn a lot of public attention, has been marked to the MP/MLA court of Judge Paras Dalal.
During the hearing, the Delhi Police sought five days of Balyan’s custody, alleging his non-cooperation during the investigation. They emphasised the necessity of obtaining his voice sample to verify its match with an alleged audio recording of a conversation between Balyan and notorious gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as Nandu.
The police argued that custodial interrogation was vital to unravel the conspiracy, trace the gangster’s whereabouts, and dismantle the extortion syndicate.
The court, while granting two days of police custody, directed that an application for Balyan’s voice sample be filed after the remand period concludes.
However, Balyan’s legal team termed the arrest “illegal” and “politically motivated”. They argued that the arrest grounds were not provided to Balyan in writing at the time of his detention — a violation of procedural requirements.
Meanwhile, the police’s remand application highlighted the MLA’s alleged involvement in a nexus with Sangwan, claiming Balyan facilitated extortion activities.
Police, in its remand copy, expressed concerns about public outrage, citing fears among business owners and common citizens over elected representatives allegedly colluding with criminals.
“The arrest is essential to recover mobile phones used in the crime and prevent the accused from intimidating witnesses or victims,” the remand papers stated.